81520 ZIP Code, Clifton, CO
81520 is a ZIP code in Clifton, Colorado in Mesa County. It covers 21 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 81504, 81526 and 81503. 12,892 people live here in 5,291 households. With about 627 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and owners and renters are mixed (67% own). Median household income is $50,283, well below the Colorado median of $95,470.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Clifton, CO
- County: Mesa County
- Land area: 21 sq mi
- Population: 12,892
- Median household income: $50,283
- Carrier routes: 7 (5,713 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 12,892 |
| Households | 5,291 |
| Median household income | $50,283 |
| Income per person | $27,088 |
| Median age | 38.4 |
| Homeowners | 67.3% |
| Median home value | $249,600 |
| Median rent | $1,026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.5 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 27.8% |
| Moved in the past year | 10.3% |
| Below the poverty line | 20.9% |
| Broadband internet | 91.3% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 13.2% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 6.4% |
| $10–15K | 6.3% |
| $15–25K | 9.6% |
| $25–35K | 11.8% |
| $35–50K | 15.3% |
| $50–75K | 22.1% |
| $75–100K | 9.4% |
| $100–150K | 11.8% |
| $150–200K | 2.5% |
| $200K+ | 4.8% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 13.5% |
| 10–19 | 11.7% |
| 20–24 | 3.6% |
| 25–34 | 14.0% |
| 35–44 | 16.2% |
| 45–54 | 10.8% |
| 55–64 | 13.1% |
| 65–74 | 11.9% |
| 75+ | 5.3% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 41.4% |
| Owned outright | 24.5% |
| Rented | 31.6% |
| Vacant | 2.5% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 51.1% |
| Townhome | 2.6% |
| 2–4 units | 20.7% |
| 5–19 units | 2.9% |
| 20+ units | 1.7% |
| Mobile / other | 21.0% |
Businesses in 81520
172 business establishments with 1,545 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Construction: 39
- Accommodation and Food Services: 29
- Retail Trade: 25
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 18
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 13
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 9
- Finance and Insurance: 8
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 7
EDDM carrier routes
81520 has 7 USPS carrier routes with 5,713 residential and 169 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 81520
81520 has 7 USPS carrier routes (7 rural (R)) with 5,713 residential and 169 business mailboxes. Routes range from 356 homes (R820) to 982 homes (R806); the median route has 870 homes. The Census counted 5,291 households in 81520 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 1 |
| 500–749 | 0 |
| 750–999 | 6 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 81520 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route R804 — USPS business mailboxes 82, 870 homes
- Route R805 — USPS business mailboxes 20, 938 homes
- Route R802 — USPS business mailboxes 20, 787 homes
- Route R803 — USPS business mailboxes 17, 939 homes
- Route R801 — USPS business mailboxes 17, 841 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 81520
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R801 | Rural | 841 | 17 | $68,492 | — | — | — |
| R802 | Rural | 787 | 20 | $64,267 | — | — | — |
| R803 | Rural | 939 | 17 | $101,689 | — | — | — |
| R804 | Rural | 870 | 82 | $106,204 | — | — | — |
| R805 | Rural | 938 | 20 | $106,204 | — | — | — |
| R806 | Rural | 982 | 11 | $21,649 | — | — | — |
| R820 | Rural | 356 | 2 | $54,027 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 81520 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 81504 — Grand Junction city, CO (3 mi)
- 81526 — Palisade town, CO (5.1 mi)
- 81503 — Orchard Mesa CDP, CO (6 mi)
- 81501 — Grand Junction city, CO (6.6 mi)
- 81506 — Grand Junction city, CO (6.8 mi)
- 81505 — Grand Junction city, CO (10.9 mi)
- 81507 — Redlands CDP, CO (13.6 mi)
- 81643 (15.3 mi)
Areas that include 81520
- Clifton, CO ZIP codes — 2 ZIP codes
- Mesa County ZIP codes — 18 ZIP codes
- Colorado ZIP code data
Where it ranks
Mail every home in 81520
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 81520, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 81520 in?
- 81520 is a Clifton, CO mailing address. By land area, 17% lies inside Clifton; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 81520 in?
- 81520 is in Mesa County.
- What is the population of 81520?
- About 12,892 people (±1,402), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 14,042.
- What is the median household income in 81520?
- $50,283 (±$8,278), compared with $95,470 for Colorado as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 81520?
- 7 USPS carrier routes with 5,713 residential and 169 business mailboxes (5,882 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 81520?
- The closest, measured center to center: 81504 (3 mi, Grand Junction), 81526 (5.1 mi, Palisade), 81503 (6 mi, Orchard Mesa), 81501 (6.6 mi, Grand Junction), 81506 (6.8 mi, Grand Junction) and 81505 (10.9 mi, Grand Junction).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.